Vehicle lamps

ABSTRACT

A vehicle lamp including a lens, a reflector, and a light source. The reflector includes areas from which it is undesirable that light is reflected, and in order to prevent reflection from these undesirable areas there is provided a shield which is associated with the light source. The shield is nonreflective, and is such that it prevents light from the light source impinging on the undesirable areas of the reflector. Moreover, the shield prevents any light emanating from the lamp which has not first been reflected from the reflector. In addition, the light source has electrical connections made thereto by way of an insulated lead and a conductive braid, the electrical return path of the light source being through the braid. The braid and the supply lead have female connectors at their ends, the female connectors being of different sizes so that external connections to the lamps cannot be made in such a manner that the braid becomes the supply lead.

United States Patent [72] inventor Harris Vernon Hicks Lichiield,England [2]] Appl. No. 702,461

[22] Filed Feb. 1, 1968 (45] Patented July 6, 1971 [73] Assignee JosephLucas (Industries) Limited Birmingham, England [32] Priority Feb. 6,1967 [3 3] Great Britain [54] VEHICLE LAMPS Primary Examiner-Samuel S.Matthews Assistant Examiner-Richard M. Sheer Attorneys-John C. Holmanand Marvin R. Stern ABSTRACT: A vehicle lamp including a lens, areflector, and a light source. The reflector includes areas from whichit is undesirable that light is reflected, and in order to preventreflection from these undesirable areas there is provided a shield whichis associated with the light source". The shield is nonreflective, andis such that it prevents light from the light source impinging on theundesirable areas of the reflector. Moreover, the shield prevents anylight emanating from the lamp which has not first been reflected fromthe reflector. In addition, the light source has electrical connectionsmade thereto by way of an insulated lead and a conductive braid, theelectrical return path of the light source being through the braid. Thebraid and the supply lead have female connectors at their ends, thefemale connectors being of different sizes so that external connectionsto the lamps cannot be made in such a manner that the braid becomes thesupply lead.

PATENTED JUL 6197i SHEET 1 [IF 3 Ll wvfiggon BYDLJMM-M ATTORNEYSPATENTEU JUL 8 I97! SHEEI 2 [1!" 3 M JMEL ATTORNEYS PATENTEU JUL 6 I9?!SHiIET 3 BF 3 WWW? ATTORNEYS VEHICLE LAMPS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to vehicle lamps of the kink wherein thereflector of the lamp includes areas from which it is undesirable thatlight should be reflected. Reflection from such areas is undesirablesince it results in an ill defined beam of a light ahead of the vehiclewhich can cause glare and dazzle to the driver of an oncoming vehicle.It has been proposed to minimize this problem by coating these areas ofthe reflector with a nonreflecting substance, and it is an object of thepresent invention to minimize the unwanted reflection in a moreconvenient manner.

SUMMARYOF THE INVENTION According to the invention in a lamp of the kindspecified, the light source has associated therewith a shield which isso shaped as to prevent light emanating from tne source impinging onsaid areas of the reflector.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS One example of the invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein: FIG. 1 is a frontelevational view of DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring tothe drawings, the lamp includes a hollow casing 11 which is closed by alens 12. Supported within the casing 11 is a reflector 13 having flat,parallel upper and lower surfaces 14, 15 which are interconnected by asubstantially part paraboloidal portion 16. The apex of the portion 16has secured thereto a bulb support 17 which is so shaped that atungsten-halogen bulb 18 carried thereby will be positioned at the focusof the portion 16. The lamp is intended to project a parallel beam oflight. However, any light which is reflected from the surfaces 14, 15will not conform to the parallel beam and will be scattered above andbelow the parallel beam and moreover light will be scattered from theintersection between the portion 16 and the surfaces 14, 15 of thereflector In order to eliminate the light reflection from the surfacesl4, l and the intersection of the surfaces 14, 15, 16, there is provideda light shield !19 which is carried by a bracket 19a attached to surface14 of the reflector 13 and which partially encloses the bulb 18 in use.The shield 19 is of open boxlike construction, the upper and lower faces21, 22 thereof being extended back towards the portion 16 of thereflector and being generally parabolic at their ends. The shield is sopositioned that the faces 21, 22 thereof prevent light from the bulb 18striking the portions 14, of the reflector 1 3 and the intersectionbetween the portions 14, 15 and the portion 16 but do not mask any ofthe light which will fall on the portion 16 of the reflector. Verticalsides 19b and closed end 19c of the shield ensure that no light isemitted from the bulb either forwardly or sidewardly so that the beamproduced by the lamp is the beam reflected from the portion 16 of thereflector. The shield 19 is coated with a matt black substance so thatthe surfaces on the shield are rendered n'onreflective.-

The electrical connections to the bulb l8 are made by way of a fly lead23 which is welded to the filament of the bulb and which is coated witha heat resistant insulating material and an insulated copper braid 24which is secured to the bulb support 17, the bulb support beingconductive the copper braid 24 serving to conduct heat away from thebulb support. I

It is desirable that return lead for the lamp should be the copper braid24, and in order to ensure that the leads 23, 24 cannot be wronglyconnected to external supply leads, the

leads 23, 24 carry at their free ends respective female connectors ofdiflerent sizes. The two female connectors are clamped in an insulatinghousing 25 which is secured to the casing 11 of the lamp. The externalleads are provided with male connectors which match the femaleconnectors respectively and the connections to the lamp are made byengaging the male connectors with their respective female connectorswithin the housing 25.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vehicle lamp, a light source a lens, a reflector, meansinterconnecting the lens and reflector to provide an enclosure, saidreflector having upper and lower flat generally parallel portions, apart paraboloidal portion interconnecting the upper and lower portion, alight source support mounted on the part paraboloidal portion andextending into the enclosure, a bracket secured to one of said flatgenerally parallel portions, a light shield carried by the bracket andlocated between the light source support and the lens, said light shieldincluding generally parallel vertical sides, upper and lower generallyparallel faces, an open end facing the light source support to enablesaid light source mounted in said support to project at least partiallyinto the shield and a closed end facing the lens, said upper and lowerfaces projecting beyond the vertical sides in the direction of the partparaboloidal portion and being substantially parallel with the generallyflat parallel portion of said reflector whereby light emanating fromsaid light source in the support is prevented by said projecting upperand lower faces from impinging on the upper and lower flat parallelportions of the reflector, with the vertical sides and closed end of theshieldpreventing light being emitted'sidewardly and forwardly so thatthe light is reflected from the part paraboloidal portion of thereflector.

2. The lamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surfaces of the verticalsides, upper and lower faces and closed end of the shield are nonreflective.

3. The lamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein the light source support isconductive, and through which electrical connection to the light sourceis made.

4. The lamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein the light source is atungsten-halogen bulb.

1. In a vehicle lamp, a light source a lens, a reflector, meansinterconnecting the lens and reflector to provide an enclosure, saidreflector having upper and lower flat generally parallel portions, apart paraboloidal portion interconnecting the upper and lower portion, alight source support mounted on the part paraboloidal portion andextending into the enclosure, a bracket secured to one of said flatgenerally parallel portions, a light shield carried by the bracket andlocated between the light source support and the lens, said light shieldincluding generally parallel vertical sides, upper and lower generallyparallel faces, an open end facing the light source support to enablesaid light source mounted in said support to project at least partiallyinto the shield and a closed end facing the lens, said upper and lowerfaces projecting beyond the vertical sides in the direction of the partparaboloidal portion and being substantially parallel with the generallyflat parallel portion of said reflector whereby light emanating fromsaid light source in the support is prevented by said projecting upperand lower faces from impinging on the upper and lower flat parallelportions of the reflector, with the vertical sides and closed end of theshield preventing light being emitted sidewardly and forwardly so thatthe light is reflected from the part paraboloidal portion of thereflector.
 2. The lamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surfaces of thevertical sides, upper and lower faces and closed end of the shield arenon reflective.
 3. The lamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lightsource support is conductive, and through which electrical connection tothe light source is made.
 4. The lamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein thelight source is a tungsten-halogen bulb.